Game, Set, Match
by Amasian
Summary: AU. Follow Neji and Tenten in their relationship revolving around the game of tennis. Series of one shots and multi-shot snippets in sundry situations. [Chapter 2] During the Rio 2016 Olympics, Japanese tennis star Hyuuga Neji ends up at the bar with a woman he cannot verbally understand: the Chinese athlete Long Tenten, who employs other methods of effective communication.
1. Love

**Disclaimer** : Masashi Kishimoto owns all the characters in the Narutoverse. Because if I did, a certain someone would not be dead and his children with a certain weapons mistress would be frolicking with Boruto and the new generation - COUGH. Anything else mentioned that's connected to real life is absolutely not mine.

* * *

 **Love** : A scoring term in tennis which indicates "zero." It signifies the beginning of a new game when both sides have no score. The true etymology remains a mystery; some say that the term originates with the french word for "egg," which resembles the shape of "zero," while others claim that "love" is taken literally because at the beginning of a match, the players have nothing except for their love for tennis.

* * *

 _In which they are young teenagers._

 _Fate. Dark horse. Inspiration. Humble beginnings._

* * *

Newly turned 14-year-old Neji Hyuuga did not feel like the 'man of the household' that he promised his father and uncle to be. In retrospect, it was obvious that the type of look exchanged between Hizashi and Hiashi was purely conspiratory after he accepted the responsibility.

The smartly dressed teen navigated through the sea of people and tried his best to ignore the female attention magnetized his way. The frequency of humans from the opposite gender in Neji's present environment was, frankly, putting him on edge. Since the tender age of six, Neji has been a student at the all boy's Konoha Preparatory Academy. He spent most of his years on Earth around XY chromosomes - all his peers were boys, most of his professors were male, the two most prominent figures in his life were men, and the majority of the Hyuuga elders Neji associated with were men, too.

In fact, the only dominant female figures in his conscious memory were his two younger cousins - Hinata and Hanabi. The latter was the reason why he was currently waist-deep in the middle of an explosion of pink, screams, tears, cosmetics, and spontaneous karaoke limited purely to songs by One Direction AKA Konoha's Junior Girl's Tennis Tournament.

Again, not his idea.

* * *

" _I am departing for Kumo tomorrow morning for a business meeting." Hizashi announced, behind the cup of tea in his hand._

" _And I will be traveling to Suna for a business settlement, as well." Hiashi added, setting his empty cup on the table._

 _Neji ceremoniously collected the ornate cast iron kettle from its teapot warmer to refill his uncle's drink._

" _It is a first for the Estate and the Corporation to lose its most esteemed leaders simultaneously." Neji speculated, mid-pour. It was an accurate statement; Hiashi and Hizashi were endemically preoccupied with running the Hyuuga Corporation, pioneer of the trading business in Konoha, but both men were equally dedicated to maintaining a presence in the household._

 _Except, in their case, the Hyuugas did not reside in a simple household. The Hyuugas lived in a conglomeration of grand buildings on an estate just south of Konoha's congested center. Although only a 40 minute drive, the Hyuuga Estate and downtown Konoha were as different as night and day - the former situated in a quiet haven fortified by nature while the latter was the epitome of a bustling city._

 _Hiashi accepted his beverage and sipped it noiselessly. "Not all its esteemed leaders."_

 _The boy wanted to stay quiet. He really did. He bade his time by returning the kettle on top of the gentle flames burning from the small teapot mantle. He even drained the contents from his own cup. In retrospect, the older men were stalling for Neji to catch the bait._

" _Oh?"_

 _And catch the bait he did._

" _I hope you are not ignorant to the profound duties a Hyuuga leader is responsible for?" His father approached from a different angle._

 _Neji cleared his throat. "As in, supervising the ongoings at the office and serving as the executive decision maker for family affairs?"_

" _The nuances, son," Hizashi admonished, "Settling disputes between clients, securing business deals, mediating feuds among relatives, leading meetings, and representing the Hyuugas at important functions…,"_

" _To be a leader, the head of the household, is quite an honor." Hiashi finished, downing his drink._

 _To be fair, his uncle was the true leader of the Hyuuga Corporation and main "head of the household". Although Neji's father served as the Vice President and acted only as the de facto head, Hiashi had always treated his younger brother on equal terms and consulted him with all matters._

" _Will you do us the favor of serving as the head of the household in our stead, Neji?" Hizashi asked, pushing away his emptied cup._

 _The young Hyuuga mirrored his father's actions. "With great honor comes great responsibility."_

* * *

There was no honor to be had in Neji's current situation. There were three songs being repeated over, and over, and over again as he fought his way against the throng of teenage girls: "What Makes You Beautiful," "One Thing," and thank God that he can't remember the last one - Neji's going to cherish this time as long as he can.

Truly, his father and uncle double teamed him and played him for a fool. He was tricked. Duped. The only words to describe his surroundings were supplied by the new vocabulary his English professor introduced from the week prior: "bedlam, pandemonium, maelstrom." Neji would be damned if his teacher wasn't conspiring against him, too.

Yesterday's events was a farce compared to the obligations he was charged with today. It was just 24 hours ago when Neji felt a surge of pride as he stepped into the 20th floor conference room at the office. He felt confident in the swivel chair at the head of the mahogany table and even deciphered the business notes left by his father perfectly. The fact that Neji had always appeared and acted older than his age helped reign in the respect of the marketing branch. With the trust from his elders, respect from the employees, and sense of belonging at the company, Neji felt on top of the world.

Whether or not yesterday's events were staged is truly up for debate because now Neji felt like he was at the end of a terrible joke. Emerging from the masses, he glanced down to discover a streak of purple glitter caked onto his forehand. He wondered in great consternation why anyone would bring craft supplies to a tennis tournament. The teenager may not know much about the sport, but he had a feeling that art was not involved.

Rubbing his maimed arm, Neji continued to the last set of courts in the park. His cousin, Hanabi, was actually competing despite the fact that she was eight years old. Eight, and apparently there's enough children to actually form a bracket for only the eight year olds. Neji ceded to the fact that Konoha was a populous city, which probably explained the hordes of people in addition to the multiple age brackets in the junior tournament.

His mind was forming doubts on how properly eight year olds can even hold a racket when a familiar voice hailed him out of his reverie.

"Master Neji! We're over here!"

It was Natsu, Hinata and Hanabi's personal maid. Behind her was the eldest Hyuuga heiress, herself. "Neji! Good afternoon, you made it."

If he wasn't Neji, he would have unleashed an epic eye roll. But he was Neji, so he didn't. "Good afternoon back," he replied and brandished his glittered arm, "I did not come unscathed."

The boy ducked under the shade provided by a large umbrella that Natsu pitched for Hinata. His cousin did not fare well in the heat of the summer and he was not much better. Hanabi was suffering the same fate on the court. The sun was not kind to the Hyuuga's definitive pale skins.

"Hanabi will be happy you came," 12-year-old Hinata said, gesturing to the lawn chair next to her. The teenager, preferring to stand, politely declined. "She was getting anxious, always looking at the stands."

"I'm sure she still wishes our fathers were here."

"But your presence will certainly suffice."

Neji thanked Natsu for the bottle of water she procured from the cooler. Of the two girls, Hanabi was more vocal by far. Whereas Hinata tries with painstaking efforts to uphold peace and harmony, Hanabi would blatantly lament the first thing she disagreed with. It was no wonder why Hiashi and Hizashi's orders for Neji to attend the tournament were so strict. Someone had to be the sacrificial lamb for their absence.

"How is she doing?" Neji inquired, washing the cold liquid over the glitter.

"It's a close game. Her opponent has a similar playing style." Hinata took a swig of her own water. "Hanabi is not very pleased with her coach right now. He is rather… unhelpful at giving advice."

The boy glanced up from his cleaning to view his younger cousin's match in earnest. Before he trained his eyes on the young girl, though, he caught sight of an older pair playing on the court adjacent from Hanabi's.

"They don't seem like they belong to this division."

Hinata nodded, confirming her cousin's hypothesis. "They're not. That's the age 14 bracket."

Neji surveyed the spectators around the fenced court. "They're getting considerable attention."

"I believe it's the finals of a big pool of competitors. They switched to this end since all the other courts were occupied." Hinata suddenly perked, "Oh look! Hanabi just scored a point! She's coming back!"

Neji momentarily acquiesced to Hinata's observation before returning his gaze to the court next to his youngest cousin. Similar to the growing crowd, his interest was piqued by two teenage girls competing against each other.

It felt similar to watching a disaster from afar - the way you knew something bad was going to happen but you lock your eyes on the scene regardless. The girl on the left, clad in a one-piece white athletic dress that ended mid thigh with matching shoes, resembled every bit of a tennis player. Her long black hair was tied in a high ponytail and a white visor provided shade for her face. She was right handed and wore an Addidas band around her wrist. The Girl With The Ponytail was tall, possibly around the same height as himself, and lean. As she returned behind the baseline, a sharp glimmer of light reflected off the necklace around her neck and rings around her fingers.

It was the girl on the opposite side of her court, though, that was the true disaster. Neji thought he was witnessing a staged experiment where a scientist purposely manipulated his variable to fail. Unlike the Girl With The Ponytail, this tennis player didn't wear anything matching at all. She donned on a loose green shirt that was ruined with dirt, white gym shorts that dwarfed for her lanky frame, and cerulean blue sneakers. At least her racket matched her shoes. Even more peculiar - she fashioned her hair into two buns on top of her head. The brunette didn't reach her opponent in height, but she was tall for her age. She wasn't wearing any jewelry, either, and the only thing she was sporting was an ugly scrape on her right knee. The injury, coupled with her wrinkled attire, hinted that she suffered a fall earlier in the match.

The only thing that didn't spell 'disaster' for The Girl With The Buns was the look in her eyes. From afar, the player's hair matched the color of her irises, but when they caught the sun's rays at just the right angle, Neji saw that her eyes were actually amber. Liquidated amber. They resonated with such intensity that it reminded the boy of smoldering coals which, although not ablaze, contained the same intensity as blue fire.

Neji finally understood why the onlookers was so intrigued by this match. The underdog was putting up a fight.

The Girl With The Buns walked calmly to the baseline. She withdrew a ball from her pocket and lined up her feet with the opposite service box beyond the net.

"Love all!" she announced. Her voice took Neji by surprise. It did not share the same weariness that her physique implied. Her tone was firm and steady.

Bouncing the ball three times and drawing her racket back, she threw the small object high above her head before crashing the racket down over it. A small grunt escaped her lips as the ball shot fast across the court, over the net, down the line, and untouched by her opponent.

"Ace!" The umpire confirmed, hiking up an arm to the server's side.

The Girl With The Buns raised her racket to her opponent. "Ball, please?"

"Don't you have two more?" The Girl With The Ponytail snapped, retreating backwards to fetch the forgotten ball and smashed it to the other side.

Neji didn't recognize this at first, but there was a group of three girls near the fence with their hair also fashioned into buns. They were loitering on The Girl With The Ponytail's side and giggling. "Ball, please?" They echoed, their voices pitched high with derisive satire. The boy frowned. That type of behavior was simply childish.

"Don't listen to them, Tenten!"

Neji refocused his vision on the audience near The Girl With The Buns. A boy clad from head to toe in green pumped both fists into the air and jumped in fervor. "You got this!"

'Tenten' didn't respond to any of the commotion. She was already lining her feet again to serve. "15-love!" she announced and started the ball once more. Her serve was faster this time, but it skimmed the top of the net before landing into the service box.

"Let!" The umpire ruled.

'Tenten' jogged in place for a few seconds before withdrawing another ball from her pocket. She ignored the jeers from her opponent's posse. "Second!" She shouted, tossing the item up and sending it cross-court. Her second serve was conservatively slower.

The point continued when The Girl With The Ponytail returned the service ball. It developed into an impressive rally with the two players staying at their respective baselines. Although 'Tenten' was maintaining the rally, Neji observed a decline in agility and a pained expression across her face every time her right knee was flexed obtusely. The Girl With The Ponytail wound up two hands for a vicious backhand to end the point in her favor.

"GO KIN!" The group of bunned girls cried, "Kick her ass!"

'Kin' grinned at her supporters and prepared herself to return another service ball.

"15 all!" the brunette yelled and swung her racket forward. Her ball stretched across the court and over the service box.

"Out!" Kin declared.

"NEJI!" A loud voice sliced through his concentration. "I won!"

The boy whipped around to see his panting but victorious eight year old cousin with a gold medal around her neck. "Congratulations."

"What?" Hanabi glared, gratefully accepting a bottle of water from Natsu. "That's it? I busted my butt out there!"

Neji didn't falter. "I saw. You performed well, considering the lack of good advice."

Hinata peered slyly at Neji. Clearly, he copied her remarks to placate her sister. Hanabi didn't notice, however.

"I know, right? I'm thinking about switching coaches. I don't like how this guy can't handle me. He just freezes up! I mean, what? I'm the one that's playing out there…," Hanabi was assembling her bags while Natsu and Hinata were preparing to uproot their spot on the lawn. Neji didn't make a move to leave.

"Let's go, Neji!" the youngest Hyuuga whined, "I want to get ice cream! I'm so hot!"

The boy glanced back at the court next to his cousin's abandoned one. "Wait a moment. This game is about to end."

Hanabi strode over next to him and even Hinata followed his gaze.

"Ouuu, Neji! Do you have a crush?" Hanabi jibed, poking her cousin with the head of her racket. Neji brushed the metal off his arm.

"No, just watch."

Tenten was serving again. "Deuce!"

The ball darted across net, but with diminished speed and force. It was obvious that the server was exhausted.

Kin returned the ball and shuffled to the center. The point continued effortlessly for the Girl With The Ponytail, who was prolonging the game to tire out her opponent. Tenten was forced to fetch balls left and right, exacerbating the wound on her knee. Seeing an opening, Kin wound up her forehand to hit another winner.

To Tenten's credit, she made an honest attempt to track down the ball. She stretched her arm forward, hit her left feet on the back of her right shin, staggered, and plunged to the ground. The concrete court did nothing to cushion her fall. When she elbowed herself up, Neji saw two matching vibrant red wounds on the meat of her palms from bracing herself on impact.

That sealed the deal. He wasn't aware how many games they played or how many sets transpired, but the underdog just injured her hands. Although Neji was no expert, he was certain that those appendages were pretty essential in racket sports.

Fate was not favoring Tenten today. This was unfortunate, since there was even a point when she started to convince Neji otherwise. She was fighting so hard and that aura she had...

"Get up!" a deep voice bellowed from the stands. Neji searched for the owner of the command and found a man garbed in monochrome green, standing next to his mini-me.

Tenten, also, searched the audience. She stared at the man in green with an unreadable expression on her face. She turned to glimpse at her wounds and then back to the spectators surrounding her. With the conclusion of Hanabi's match, the crowds merged to encompass the brunette's court and swelled in size.

In a blink, Tenten's eyes unexpectedly flashed to the lawn and instantly connected with Neji's. Although he was caught staring, he didn't look away and neither did she.

White on amber. Amber on white.

Neji never met anyone with eyes so deceptively mundane that it masked the depth it actually possessed. They held each other's gaze longer than strangers should. He didn't understand why, but he nodded at her. Tenten seemed to decipher what Neji meant in that pithy gesture (because he sure as heck didn't) and nodded right back, squaring her jaw, and pushing herself up. The fire reignited in her eyes. It was back on - in more ways than one.

Tenten trained her vision intently at the ground and started mouthing words under her breath. Her fingers gripped the end of her baggy shorts and ripped two strips of fabric from the bottom hem. Methodically, she wrapped each makeshift bandage around her palm and tied a knot using her teeth. Meanwhile, her opponent delivered a tennis ball to her side of the court in the form of a smash. Tenten stalked over to collect it in her scrappily doctored hands before retreating to the left side of the center mark.

"Ad out!" She announced, flinging the ball behind her head. This time, Tenten bent her knees and jumped up to meet the ball prematurely, catching it on its left side and sent it hurling towards Kin. As soon as her ball touched the ground, it twisted up to meet her opponent in the face. The taller teen yelped, shutting her eyes and bringing up her racket in time to block the flying projectile.

Tenten was already on the right side of the center mark, bouncing another ball on the ground with her racket. Kin's supporters howled in contempt while their friend assumed a stance across from the other player.

"Deuce!" the brunette hollered, propelling a ball to the opposing side. It was a fast, flat serve which she followed by charging to the net.

The sudden change in tactics threw Kin off guard and she returned the incoming tennis ball straight to her opponent. Tenten, with cat-like reflexes, jutted the face of her racket in front of her body and put the ball away.

From the fury on Kin's face, Neji could tell she did not expect Tenten to rush forward. While the Girl With The Ponytail remained silent, glaring daggers at her opponent, her fans were screeched bloody murder.

The brunette tucked a strand of hair behind her ears from the baseline. She uncovered the last tennis ball in her pocket and bounced it on the ground three times. "Ad in!" Releasing the green projectile into the air, Tenten served what she hoped to be her last point.

The spectators seemed to collectively hold a deep breath as they watched the ball alternate between the two sides of the court. Even the once disruptive Kin supporters fell silent. Neji watched as the two teenage girls sprinted, pivoted, and returned hit after hit. The rally was the longest one since he started viewing their match.

Bereft from all distractions, the only noise in the immediate area came from the lone ball when it made contact with tennis strings. With the satisfying popping noise reverberating in his ears, Neji reflected how tennis was actually quite a beautiful sport. It was full of grace, reflecting the ebb and flow of two players as they responded to each other. The rally fell into a hypnotizing rhythm which lulled Neji into a trance so deep that Tenten's unexpected forehand winner took him by surprise.

As clichés would have it, the crowds went wild. The underdog turned dark horse turned champion roared in victory and punched the air with her racket. She was immediately enveloped in a bear hug by the two figures in green who vocally rooted for her during the match. As soon as they relinquished their hold, she skipped over to Kin, who was waiting by the umpire. Tenten smiled in good manner and extended a bandaged hand out, which her opponent accepted. It was terse, but the sportsmanship was evident. Next, brunette clasped hands with the umpire and returned to the center of the court where she bowed deeply at the audience. She jumped in a full circle, energetically waving at the clapping attendees and squinting her eyes to search for one person.

"Winner of the Konoha's Junior Girl's Tennis Tournament for the age 14 bracket, Tenten Long! 3-6, 6-4, 6-4!"

The victorious girl graciously accepted the gold medal with a smile, but couldn't help feeling unsatisfied when she couldn't locate the handsome boy from earlier. She was playing with the small trophy when, on the opposite side of the park, just exiting the gates, Hanabi was doing the same.

"What an incredible point and huge upset," the youngest Hyuuga gushed, wielding the gold medal like a crown. "That was Kin Tsuchi, the number one seed and overwhelming favorite in her group who lost!"

"Who was her opponent?" Hinata asked, voicing the question on Neji's mind.

"I don't know. She's unseeded. Came out of nowhere," Hanabi shrugged and narrowed her eyes at the boy to her left, "We should've stayed to find out."

Neji, who was actually the first person to turn his heels when the hordes of people rushed forward after the finale of the match, smirked at his relative. "We have things to do," he noticed the glare, "and ice cream to eat."

Immediately forgetting her ire, Hanabi raced to the black Mercedes Benz parked at the curb. Natsu was already holding out the door for the three cousins. "Got that right! And you're paying!"

Neji glanced sideways at Hinata and the two cousins shared a smile.

* * *

"That was quite the youthful display of histrionics the other day," Gai Maito began, "But you still need practice in certain areas."

Tenten stared at her coach incredulously and held up two bandaged hands, "You think this was on purpose?" It was a couple of days after her injury and subsequent victory, so the wound had since convalesced and scabbed. Although Tenten was displeased about abstaining from practice, reopening injuries was never fun.

"It definitely spiced things up," the older man equivocally answered, shutting the door to his green truck.

"You can do it!" Lee, her all-but-in-blood brother, cheered loudly and slid down from the passenger seat. "I'm gonna be the fastest runner and you're gonna be the best tennis player and we're BOTH going to compete in the Olympics!"

The girl grinned at the positivity practically radiating off of Lee. Shrugging her racket bag over one shoulder and the tennis caddy over the other, she trailed behind Gai who was heading towards Mount Konoha's tennis courts.

Lee saluted a quick farewell after promising to run ten times to the crest of the mountain and back before the end of their practice. Tenten cautioned him to be careful while Gai egged him on with shuddering theatrics. Clearly, the boy only had ears for the man he drew fashion inspiration from.

"Yeah, yeah... I know I need to work on my second serves," the teen admitted before sighing, "And my game at the net."

"Good, then you know what we'll be focusing on today," Gai threw a thumbs up over his shoulder while spinning a Head racket with his other hand. "KAKASHI!" he lurched to a halt. "You're here!"

A tall, lean man around the same age as her coach stopped mid-motion from feeding a tennis ball to spare Gai a bored expression. "Yo," Kakashi continued his swing to hit the ball at his partner. "I'm always here."

That was a lie. The gray haired man only appeared when Tenten and Gai were in the midst of training to ensnare her coach's attention in a fiery competition. Every time.

"You have a pupil!" Gai exclaimed, stopping at the sidelines next to the first court.

"That I do," the other coach confirmed mildly.

Tenten had just stepped onto the hard surface when she discovered Kakashi's new trainee. The last time Kakashi had a student, he played for a couple of months before dropping the sport in favor for soccer and she never saw him again. But this boy, who was standing on the opposite side of the court, she definitely saw before.

Amber on white. White on amber.

"Neji Hyuuga. Nice to meet you."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

I tried so hard and I hope this was enjoyable! I mean, this is my favorite couple and favorite sport we're talking about, so I'm extra hard on myself. Kudos to anyone who noticed the random easter eggs in the chapter.

I must mention that Tenten's last name "Long," is taken from the Cantonese pronunciation for the word "dragon," but also coincides with NessieGG's surname for her - so I must credit that! Anyways, thanks for reading, please review, and happy Wimbledon 2016!


	2. Deuce

**Deuce:** A tied score of 40-40 during any given game. A player must then score two consecutive points to win the game.

* * *

 _In which they are Olympic athletes._

 _Olympic Games. Effective communication. Competitions. Summertime sparks._

* * *

On Team Japan's third day in Rio de Janeiro, Neji successfully aligned his circadian rhythm with the local time. It was two weeks prior to the Olympics opening ceremony and his countrymen and women were in the throes of adjusting to the foreign environment.

On the seventh day, the tennis star of the East noticed a tan swimmer making oogly eyes at his younger cousin who was a fellow athlete competing in gymnastics.

On the eleventh day, on the cusp of the weekend, the swimming sensation(al nuisance) chanced a leap of faith and approached the two Hyuugas at the communal cafe.

"Hi!" He initiated coltishly, scratching the dorsal region of his spiky blonde head, "I'm Naruto!"

Hinata blushed and descended her gaze to the cup of green tea in her possession. The older Hyuuga took the liberty to speak on her behalf. "She knows. Move along."

"Neji!" The girl gasped. That's right, girl. She was four months shy of her 19th birthday and the entire Hyuuga clan would slaughter him if he allowed this uncivilized creature to dishonor her.

"W-what he meant to say," stuttered Hinata, "Was that we s-saw you on television performing admirably at y-your last competition."

Naruto's grin grew inversely with the tennis prodigy's scowl. "No way! You watched me? First of all let me say holy shit. I've followed your practice sessions ever since they started airing your promos!"

Neji's disapproval intensified. This hooligan reeked of stalker.

"And damn, man," the blonde clapped a hand on Neji's shoulder, "That Wimbledon win was off the fucking chain! Everyone in Japan was glued to their TV for days!"

The compliment caught the older man off guard. He thought the predator was devout in his plans to abduct his innocent relative. Unless, that was a-

"Anywho, the swim team is going out later and I'm asking around to see if other people wanna join. There's a pretty cool place nearby called Bar do Mineiro."

Hinata exploited Neji's temporary distraction. "Th-that would be lovely!"

Naruto punched the sky exuberantly. "Hell yeah! See you tonight."

The Wimbledon champion cut his eyes at the villain who practically floated down the street. Moments later, a soft giggle rudely interrupted his mental calculations for assassination attempts.

"Tonight will be lovely, won't you agree?" Hinata crooned whimsically, assured that Neji will join her out of familial duty. She was not wrong.

"I hear it will be a full moon." He supplied neutrally.

"They say crazy things happen."

Neji rubbed the bridge of his nose, displeased that his quiet evening was soundly put to death. He drowned his misfortune with the rest of his tea. "So they say."

* * *

The Japanese were internationally acclaimed for their courteous sports-spectating behavior in addition to their love for alcohol. That night certainly proved the latter.

Winter white eyes scanned the pub scene in scrutiny. True enough, Bar do Mineiro was 10 minutes south of the Olympic Village and the majority of Team Japan was both present and intoxicated. Neji vaguely recalled Naruto rolling into the establishment with a horde of his friends, bringing the proverbial party along with him. And, based on the magnitude of patrons, that essentially included everyone. Thrown into the mix was Naruto's raven haired rival and fellow swimmer, a green eyed judo master, a pale fencer, and one of Hinata's loquacious teammates.

"Hello Ino," greeted the younger Hyuuga, "You look quite beautiful this evening."

The taller gymnast tossed her golden mane, cascading it down her posterior. "You too, babe! Oh, hey, Neji."

He cordially nodded while Ino twirled Hinata in place. "I'm borrowing your cousin for a song or 15. We're gonna dance if you want to join."

He absolutely did not, but nonetheless, the sole purpose of his attendance was to protect his kin. Neji was sensitive to the common theme of the day where blonde's were walking sharks in disguise. With his peripherals, he spied an empty seat at the bar and deferred to Plan B: guard from afar and intervene when necessary. "I shall pass on that offer."

Ino winked at his relative. Pursing his lips, Neji cautioned, "But I warn you to abstain from pressuring Hinata into any debauchery or placing her in any peril."

The music volume increased from background to foreground and the blonde elevated her voice accordingly. "Have you seen my best friend? Sakura can chuck someone's ass across the Andes if they tried messing with us!"

Ino smoothly sashayed away with Hinata in tow and Neji swore he heard, "I make no promises about the debauchery, though."

Before he could object, however, the gymnasts escaped to the dance floor where the aforementioned judo master shimmied and swayed. Inhaling for patience, Neji requested a beer from the bartender to comfort his abysmal luck. He foresaw a looming headache from the calamity of the thunderous speakers and the festivities only begun.

The man behind the bar returned with a popular pale lager in a pilsner glass. He slapped down a coaster and napkin in exchange for the allotted Brazilian Reais. If it was any consolation, Neji was pleased that his collegiate years in England developed his capacity for English - thus making international travel significantly easier.

Neji took a generous gulp of beer and screened the venue once more. Fortunately, Hinata was joined by Haruno Sakura whose pink hair served as a conspicuous landmark. He had just pinpointed their location when a tall woman obscured his view.

"Ni hao," she smiled ebulliently, then continued with a slew of other words lost to him.

The tennis player inclined his head politely. "I apologize, but I cannot speak Mandarin." He switched to his secondary language and translated the sentence.

The woman laughed nervously, simultaneously shrugging her slender shoulders. He surmised that she didn't speak neither Japanese nor English.

"Wo jiao Long Tenten." She enunciated slowly, dropping onto the seat next to him.

Neji was acutely aware of her identity - China's aggressive advertisements for their talented athletes were ubiquitous, after all. Tenten debuted as a finalist in the Australian Open, and although she placed second, her popularity reigned first. Contrastingly different from her stern compatriots, her bubbly and candid nature transformed her into an overnight celebrity. And, as she conversed with him through a vivacious game of charades, Neji concluded that none of it was an act.

The brunette suddenly snapped her fingers and her mocha colored eyes glowed in excitement. She employed fervent hand gestures to communicate with the bartender and soon became the proud owner of a pen. Her accomplished look of surmounting language barriers was - dare he acknowledge it - cute and she peace signed jovially. He watched in amusement as she grabbed the napkin next to his coaster.

' _Can you read this?_ '

Clever. She capitalized on the fact that kanji, one of the popular writing systems in Japan, derived itself from hanzi, otherwise known as the characters from China.

Seeing the upward curve of Neji's mouth, Tenten squealed in delight and penned:

' _Hurray! We can finally understand each other!_ ' She drew a miniature smiling panda and passed the writing instrument to him.

'Congratulations.' His handwriting was substantially more refined.

' _I should be the one saying that after your incredible win at Wimbledon!_ ' The woman embellished her praise with a depiction of a trophy shrouded in confetti.

'Thank you.'

Tenten enthusiastically gave him a thumbs up.

With subtle hesitation, Neji scribed, 'Should you be elsewhere? Will you not be accused of fraternizing with the enemy?'

She studied his words with knitted brows, adorably perplexed. ' _But_ _I'm not competing against you...? Unless you're actually a girl - in which case I'd just beg you for the secrets behind perfect hair.'_

Neji gave his companion a wry look. Tenten made a sheepish face and, sensing his ire, scrambled to write, ' _Are you up for a challenge? Winner gets a gold medal._ '

He craned his neck to find Hinata, who was still enthralled with Ino and Sakura. Shaking his head, he responded, 'I am here to secure my younger cousin's safety. I do not have time.'

Tenten pouted and leaned forward, then twisted her body towards the crowd so that her eyes were level with his. Neji could smell the distinct aroma of cinnamon in her close proximity.

' _Your cousin's with the world's number one judo champion in her weight class! Plus, she's an adult! She doesn't need a chaperone._ '

He begged to differ. 'No.'

His company mustered a suspicious stare and tapped a finger on her chin. ' _I get it, you're chicken_.'

Neji ignored the trap and polished off the lager, then hailed the bartender for a bourbon neat. Tenten flashed the man with a bright smile and raised two fingers, indicating her desire to double the order. Unbeknownst to her, the bartender swiftly returned with two glasses of honey colored liquid and additional napkins. She was too absorbed scribbling arduously at something on another napkin and shielding her efforts from the rest of the world with a guarded arm. Sighing, Neji paid for both refreshments.

The tennis prodigy cleared his throat, but he failed to capture the woman's attention above the deafening music. He tapped her shoulder instead.

"Aiya!" She yelped, clasping a hand atop her chest. Tenten's aura of agitation materialized in the form of an extended index finger. Neji's eyes marginally twitched and he defaulted to nursing his new beverage.

When she finished whatever she was mired in, Tenten immediately brandished the napkin like a flag. She smacked the item in front of Neji and urged him to behold her labors. Complying, he discovered… a caricature of a chicken with long hair, tied in a manner similar to his.

Regardless of the vociferous music, the Wimbledon champion heard the unrestrained laughter from the artist. As unflattering as the picture was, he had to admit, she drew a quality chicken. The gaudy mane satirized the image, but nevertheless, he appreciated the creativity.

He spared a deep chuckle and pointed at the untouched drink. The brunette nodded and reached for her money, only to be blocked by Neji who nodded at the receipt. Tenten "ah-ed" and procured paper bills, anyways. Appreciatively, she presented the cash with two hands between them.

He declined thrice before she withdrew the banknotes. A lively grin laced her lips as she commenced another charade. Over the rim of his glass, Neji observed her comical string of theatrics. Picking up the pen, he theorized, 'You recommend saving this drawing and selling it after you win a gold medal to acquire lucrative sums of money?'

Tenten reclined her neck and guffawed. She poised her palm in the air for a high five, however, he merely stared at her nonplussed. She stuck out her tongue and high fived herself, then plucked the pen from his grasp. ' _I thought you were ordering another beer. I'm terrible at English_.'

She ceremoniously raised the glass to toast, sang some words in Mandarin, and tilted the liquid into her mouth. Instantly, the woman sputtered, contorting her face with unadulterated regret. Neji almost snorted in response - almost. In reality, he coughed and offered one of the unused napkins.

Tenten accepted the act of kindness but her expression remained in disgust. A deep frown marred her features and tears coated her lashes - the bourbon burned wildly. Ever the gentleman, Neji ordered a plate of pastéis to attenuate her discomfort. Attempting to learn from experience, she snatched the last napkin and scrawled, ' _What is that? It better not be some poison again._ '

'It's a local appetizer with melted cheese and minced meat.'

His companion lunged for the dish. She popped a couple in her mouth and blithely fluttered her eyes to the ceiling. Tenten amicably pushed forth the appetizer to share, but he purposely drank slowly from his bourbon to mock her prior mistake. Antagonized, she mimicked his actions with exaggerated pretentiousness.

' _This still tastes like garbage when you drink it pompously._ _Can you order a Coke and rum for me, please?_ '

He "tsk-ed" and beckoned for the bartender. As soon as he finished placing her order, she raised two fingers again. The Brazilian man reappeared with two cocktails and Tenten smiled winsomely, depositing the local currency on the counter. He winked, waved off the tab, and wiggled his brows suggestively at Neji.

Duly scandalized, the tennis prodigy opened his mouth to clarify his intentions when he felt a slender hand cover his. He turned to see Tenten grinning waggishly and prompting him to read her new message.

' _Play along! I just scored you a free drink!_ '

'He believes that you are hitting on me.'

Tenten licked her lips conspiratorially. ' _Is it working?_ '

Neji let out an uncharacteristic snort at the same time that she chortled in mirth.

The woman took another sip from her bourbon neat and chased it with rum. Seizing a blank napkin, she hunched over the tabletop to begin another masterpiece. Averting his gaze, Neji remembered his original mission and gleaned across the crowd, finding Hinata still dancing with her friends.

"Kan yi kan!" The brunette dangled the napkin in front of his vision. He tore the offending object from his face and examined a picture of a dart board, deck of cards, and cue ball. Beneath the drawings was the instruction: ' _Choose one._ '

'I am preoccupied.'

Vexed, Tenten blew on her bangs and referred to the animated poultry. The man beside her sighed in exasperation.

' _One game and I'll let you be antisocial for the rest of the night._ '

He inwardly weighed her promise and checked on Hinata once again. Corroborating her well being, he relented. 'Fine. You choose. I am ambivalent.'

The brunette's elation was palpable. She cupped both her drinks and motioned for Neji to follow. In a matter of strides, he found himself in front of a dartboard. Tenten charmed the metallic arrows from the bartender and offered three white ones to him while she kept the black darts for herself.

"Shanghai?" She arched her brows, hoping that he knew the rules. To her surprise, he did. Darts are a popular British pub sport that Neji occasionally partook in during his tenure abroad. The Shanghai version of the game was rarely played, but his batch mates were rabid fans of trying international variations.

Tenten fished a five centavos coin from her jeans pocket and suggested for Neji to select a side. He mutely flipped the piece of copper-plated steel to where a dove was ingrained. His challenger nodded and tossed the coin up, effortlessly catching it and revealing the verdict: he threw first.

She cocked one of her glasses at him for luck. He drained his bourbon before aiming, throwing his three darts squarely in the correct sector. There were two methods to win: the most common required each player to shoot one region per round, alternating 20 regions in the circle dartboard, and scoring only if the darts landed in the corresponding sector of the play. The other approach was virtually impossible.

His opponent golf clapped and assumed the position where he formerly stood. She struggled to focus, clumsily grasping her first arrow. The brunette giggled anxiously but Neji sipped from his rum in sportsmanlike support. Then, with three flicks of the wrist, Tenten nimbly struck her shots in the narrow singles, doubles, and triples band, effectively winning the game.

Neji subsequently clenched his fists and glared daggers at the dartboard. She duped him! The sneak probably practiced daily!

Tenten cackled like a witch and pirouetted in triumph. She thrust her drinks at Neji and gesticulated for him to toast her victory. Sourly, he clinked his glass with her's and sought for the pen and napkin.

'We are competing in pool billiards.'

She downed both alcoholic beverages and sniffed in superiority. "Hao de."

The duo padded to the empty pool table where Neji raised up eight fingers, questioning Tenten's knowledge of the eight-ball game. She nodded and retrieved the pools sticks while he neatly stacked the cue balls. Mutually agreeing that Tenten would take the first turn due to her previous win, the woman gripped the wooden pole and boom! Completely missed the black ball altogether.

She braced herself for derisive retribution against her childish antics at the dartboard. To her surprise, however, none came. Instead, Neji stilled her body with one hand and set his cue stick aside with the other. His taller frame cloaked her back as he altered her grip on the wooden instrument, pressed her closer to the table, and revised her novice technique.

The scent of cinnamon captivated Neji for the second time that evening. Pulling away, he cued her to strike by tapping her wrists. Tenten moved on command and made square contact with the black ball, watching in amazement as it scattered the other multi-colored spheres. A striped ball plopped into a pocket first, indicating her claim to suit. Now all she had to do was sink the rest of the striped objects.

Biting her tongue in concentration, she vied for a striped orange ball adjacent to a corner pocket. Tenten copied Neji's technique and ventured a shot, but unfortunately, the projectile hit an edge and ricocheted away.

The Hyuuga was chalking the tip of his pool stick when she backpedaled to signal the end of her round. Neji arranged himself parallel to the black ball and positioned his fingers expertly. In seven successive shots, he deftly pocketed the entirety of the solid colored balls and flickered a smug grin in Tenten's direction.

She stared at him in utter disbelief, then pitched forward to argue, yet ended up tripping on her feet. Apparently, Tenten wasn't drunk on victory or defeat - she was just plain drunk. The bourbon and rum thoroughly invaded her system.

Instinctively, Neji reached out to save her from plummeting to the floor. He slung her arm around his shoulders and anchored a steadying hand on her waist. The abrupt movements jarred Tenten's vision and vertigo started to beset her. She squeezed her eyes shut and burrowed her head into the crook of his neck.

"BRO!" Hollered a roguish boy from afar, "That was so fucking smooth I'm sweatin' in my goddamn drawers!"

"Silence, Inuzuka," Neji glared at the marathon runner, "You and Aburame are in charge of Hinata's safe return to her room tonight; otherwise I will gravely compromise your participation in the Games."

The younger man straightened his posture and saluted. "Sir yes sir!"

Neji lowered his tone to address the woman slumped against him. "Tenten," he hoped the context of the situation would translate itself, "Where is your key?"

She groaned into his neck and in spite of himself, he blushed. The fragrance of cinnamon yet again filled his senses and, not for the first time that evening, Neji noticed Tenten as a remarkably attractive woman. His unruly thoughts were thankfully re-calibrated when he felt a card-key slip into his palm. In haste, Neji navigated them towards to the Olympic Village, less any more troublesome thoughts propagated in his mind.

To his relief, Tenten's lodging was simple to locate and she physically cooperated throughout their journey home. Neji swiped the key and pushed open her door, ushering them inside a darkened room. He gingerly deposited the woman on the bed before removing her flip flops, blanketing her with a sheet, and placing a bottle of water on the night stand.

"N...Neji," Tenten whispered breathlessly and smiled in earnest, "Xie xie."

With a discreet smile back, the Hyuuga closed the door behind him and exited soundlessly into the night.

* * *

Sakura clapped her hands together. "Kami, Tenten, you're a miracle worker! Naruto's practically worshiping you!"

The twin-bunned woman playfully bowed at the compliment. "So did he finally ask out the girl of his dreams?"

"Hai," Sakura drank from her chilled cup of acai, "They're suppose to go on a double date after we fly back to Japan."

"Nani? With who? Ino and Sai?"

The pinkette scoffed. "Heck no! They'd scare her away from their raunchy sex talk - they've got zero filter. With me and Sasuke."

Tenten choked on her coconut water from laughing. "Ano... _you_ guys won't scare her away?

"We're _private_." The judo master hissed. Tenten murmured something suspiciously sassy so Sakura retorted, "Now, spill the juicy details about your hot date with The Hyuuga Neji."

"Oh I wish," the brunette rolled her eyes, "But I mean, despite the fact that I could barely function in his presence, I think I kept myself together pretty well. On the inside, though, I was basically collapsing. I've never seen a hotter guy on this planet in my 24 years of existence."

"He has a super sexy voice to boot," the older woman babbled onwards, "Especially when he speaks in English. Did you know he has a British accent? I don't have a clue what he said, but I had an eargasm every time-,"

Her meal buddy's suddenly panic-stricken eyes truncated Tenten's commentary - Sakura looked completely gobsmacked.

"I, uh, gotta run!" The rosette slid an azure bill on the table. "Sasuke's calling. Ja ne!"

Tenten furrowed her brows in bewilderment as Sakura hurdled a decorative shrub and vanished down the street. What precipitated that desperate departure? Mystified, the tennis player leaned onto the hind legs of her chair and-

Almost fell off. Behind her was none other than Hyuuga Neji in the flesh. And, judging from her friend's visceral reaction, he probably heard her whole monologue!

At that realization, Tenten actually did crash to the ground. She curled on the cafe patio's floor and veiled her face with both hands. The potency of her embarrassment outweighed the scalding tiles burning her skin.

"Fix yourself," instructed Neji, "The locals are staring."

She decided to address him in Japanese. The facade was obsolete now that he caught her rambling the most mortifying things in his mother tongue. "Just let me die, thanks."

The tall man used his foot to nudge her shin to which she responded by bravely peaking between her fingers. Tenten saw his outstretched hand and an arrogant smirk gracing his gorgeous lips. Surrendering to the inevitable, she groaned and accepted Neji's help. She settled back into her seat reluctantly while he claimed Sakura's abandoned chair.

Not one to beat around the bush, he began. "Tell me how you know Japanese."

"My mom's Japanese and I lived in Kyoto for 12 years." Tenten mumbled pathetically.

"Then why," he drawled, "Did you feign ignorance at the bar?"

The woman whimpered meekly. His steely stare wasn't conducive to revealing the truth… or looking less handsome.

"You're gonna be mad if I tell you."

"I will not be mad."

"You're gonna be _pissed_."

"False."

"Lies!"

Neji crossed his arms condescendingly. "Just like your pretense last night?"

Tenten flinched in remorse. "I only told a white lie about my Japanese! I really _do_ suck at English and you really _did_ save me from face planting-,"

"I will excuse your mendacious behavior if you tell the truth now." Neji angled his chin as if he aced an opponent.

The brunette bemoaned the ultimatum. On one hand, she was loyal to Naruto and the intricate plot her friends wove to aid his love life. On the other, Neji was the top men's tennis seed and a respected professional in her field. Plus, there was a niggling guilt that she had, indeed, beguiled him when she genuinely enjoyed his company at the pub.

Coming to a stalemate, she resolved to her last resort.

Neji quirked a brow as the flustered woman dug in her pockets. She procured another five centavos coin, whispered something in Mandarin, and flipped it in the air. Allowing the piece of currency to fall on the table, Tenten held her breath in anticipation as it halted to display the dove on the reverse side. Fate decided for her.

"I was acting as Uzumaki Naruto's wingwoman so he could ask out your cousin."

The Hyuuga's imposing disposition could make the most notorious lawyers intimidated. "A plot which Yamanaka and Haruno orchestrated?"

Tenten hung her head in self deprecation - of course her target doubled as an interrogation expert. "Hai."

"Was Uzumaki successful in his endeavors?"

Her shoulder's progressively sagged. "Hai."

"And did Hinata comply?"

"Hai…," Tenten weakly answered, then quickly provide an addendum, "But they're going on a double date! You have nothing to worry about and no reason to interfere!"

Neji exemplified the paragon of poker faces. "With whom will they be accompanied by?"

She sighed in relief, grateful to tread in safe waters. Her friends were famous and estimable individuals. "Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke."

"Absolutely not."

Tenten unhinged her jaw in alarm. "What?"

"Hinata shall not be corrupted by such uncouth scum."

"Sakura's a doll!" Tenten defended, mentally affixing the adjectives 'firecracker,' 'insane,' and 'crazy-powerful.' "And Naruto's a sweetheart. Sasuke's-,"

"A sententious bastard." Neji deadpanned.

The woman amended the description carefully. "A nice guy in private."

" _No_ ," the top tennis seed vetoed, "Hinata will _not_ be pursuing any romantic forays without proper supervision."

Tenten stammered. "B-but you said you wouldn't get mad!"

"I am sufficiently displeased."

"Same thing!" Her mind raced, reflecting on the massive damage she accidentally inflicted on Naruto's nascent love life. "Hinata's a grown woman, she can do whatever she wants!"

"Our clan would severely disapprove."

"Well then…!" Tenten searched her head for alternative solutions, " _You_ go on a double date with them!" She grumbled something along the lines of, 'Jeez, that's _so_ weird. Give them some space.'

"Fine." Curiously, he smirked in a manner identical to when he hit a winner - a trait Tenten was accustomed to witnessing on television. "When's the next time you'll be in Kyoto?"

The implications of his question froze her. It was the last thing she expected out of his mouth. A mouth she could definitely envision herself exploring if he meant...

"Right after I win a gold medal. So I can show my relatives, and all."

"Well then," Neji imitated, "I hope for Hinata and Uzumaki's sake that the odds will be in your favor."

Tenten edged forward and grinned coquettishly. "And yours."

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Fu Yuanhui's adorableness inspired this rendition of Tenten. I wanted to address the themes of different cultures and travel - something prevalent in my current lifestyle. Anything mentioned between China and Japan is NOT meant to be offensive at all. You know the drill - reviews will garner faster updates! Should I keep cranking out one-shots? Or make this into a multi-chaptered thing? I'd love to know your thoughts :)

A shout out to keroRiBBIT who leaves the best reviews to all my stories. Your kind words warm my heart and inspire me to write more NejiTen. In other news, if ya'll are interested in more NejiTen goodness, here is a shameless plug to check out my other fic called "The Right Side of Rock Bottom."

P.S. Happy U.S. Open 2016!

P.P.S. A huge thanks to fruitysmellz for the CUTEST DRAWING EVER of tennis!NejiTen which is now the cover picture! Find more the full picture here: fruitysmellz's tumblr page! (/image/150041814784 with the whole URL)


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